Jen’s towering She-Hulk form shrunk, revealing a weary human face. Her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Nikki burst in with coffee mug in hand. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Guys! You’re back! Did we win? Is Wanda free? Spill it!”, she curiously asked the million dollar question. But the only response was a heavy silence—Jen’s expression dark and brooding, Wong’s stoic gaze fixed ahead, and America shifting uncomfortably.
Jen exhaled sharply, running a hand through her tangled hair. Wong stepped forward and calmly comforted Jen. “There’s always a way out, Jen. I believe you’ll find it”. Jen responded with a long, skeptical sigh.
Then, Wong and America exchanged a nod and headed back to Kamar-Taj, leaving Jen alone with Nikki. Nikki plopped onto the desk, waving a hand in front of Jen’s face. “Earth to Jen! Hello! Come on, let’s get you a snack—you look like you lost to second place!”.
Her usual upbeat chatter felt distant to Jen. The office was blurring into slow-motion scenes —Nikki’s voice was like a faint hum, while the wall clock was ticking like a lumbering heartbeat. Jen’s mind replayed the trial where Judge Vignya’s piercing gaze were cutting through the courtroom. Agent Praxis’ tricky smirk was also flashed in her memory.
Suddenly, Nikki’s voice cut through. “…Murdock called, by the way”. Jen blinked, snapping back. “Wait, what? Murdock?”, she asked, her tone lifting. Nikki grinned, “Yeah, Matt Murdock. Left a message. Sounded urgent-ish”. Jen’s mood lifted slightly as she grabbed her phone.
The phone rang, and Matt Murdock’s familiar voice answered. “Jen? Been a while”. “Too long”, Jen replied. They’d had a brief romantic fling before life and work pulled them apart.
She softened, saying, “I’m sorry about Foggy, Matt. I tried calling you last year…”. Matt’s voice softened. “Yeah, it was a mess with Kingpin and the anti-vigilante crackdown. I… I’m sorry I didn’t pick up. Thanks, though”.
He paused, then chuckled lightly. “Just needed to hear a friendly voice. Things are rough here”. Jen, breaking the fourth wall, smirked at the camera. “Oh, the exes’ code—old love rekindled or just friends? Gotta watch that line”.
She then spilled the Wanda trial saga—the multiverse, the TVA, the mess. Matt was stunned. “I thought your superhero problems were L.A.’s usual vigilante stuff. A multiverse? Wonder if there’s another Daredevil out there!”. Jen laughed, breaking the fourth wall again. “When’s Ben Affleck gonna cameo here?”.
They ended the call with mutual encouragement, hinting at a possible future connection, though it didn’t solve their respective cases, especially hers. However, it kind of boosted her mood.
